This application the disclosed device relates to hanging articulated panels used for window shutters and room dividers and the like. More particularly it relates to a device to support the weight of one or a plurality of rotationally attached hanging panels such as shutters or room dividers in an overhead track and allow the hanging panels to translate or to fold into an accordion style configuration with panels adjacent to each other when the hanging panels are in a retracted position. Additionally the device provides the ability for insertion into the overhead track from any point along track as well as from the open ends.
Conventional window shutters and large rectangular panels used to divide rooms and the like are generally comprised of rectangular hinged panels which hang in rotational engagement from overhead supports mounted in a track. In the case of window shutters the panels are sized to cooperatively engage with the window frames around a window opening. In the case of room divider panels used to separate a large room into smaller rooms for conventions and restaurants and similar venues, the hanging panels are also rectangular and sized to fit between the ceiling and floor of the venue to be subdivided.
Articulated panels whether used for window shutters, room dividers, French doors, or for other conventional purposes, generally feature an array of interconnected rectangular panels which are in a hinged engagement with an adjacent similarly dimensioned panel, along at least one vertical side edge when a pair of panels is suspendedly mounted in an overhead track. When more than two such hanging panels, all of the panels are suspended over the floor or other surface below the lower edge of the panels by a rotational engagement with a track engaged translating overhead support with all but the two end panels hinged on both vertical sides to adjacent similarly dimensioned hanging panels and with the two end panels hinged at one vertical side edge to an adjacent hanging panel.
Such hanging panels are conventionally supported by a rolling support assembly in rotational engagement with the top edge of each panel adjacent to both top corner edges of each panel. Typically the rolling support assembly has two wheels attached to axles engaging a carriage. The two wheels are cooperatively engaged inside the overhead track and roll therein as the supported hanging panels are moved from a compacted position to a fully extended position in line with each adjacent panel.
However such an array of interconnected articulated panels can be difficult to open and close when used in applications where the panels are vertically supported inside the overhead track or channel, especially where more than to panels are interconnected along their side edges as is the case with conventional articulated panels such as shutters and room dividers and the like. This difficultly is caused because conventionally available carriages and mechanisms used to support mid-array panel sections inside the overhead channel typically consist of carriages fitted with vertical wheels set parallel to the channel sidewalls. When a panel array formed of a plurality of suspended panels is fully retracted with the panels folded upon each other in a stacked engagement, the wheels of the typical carriage assembly engaged in the overhead channel are parallel to the channel center axis. While parallel engagement with the channel axis facilitates easy rolling when the panels are in an inline or extended position with each other, being parallel to the channel center axis with the array of panels in the retracted position, places the carriage wheels substantially perpendicular to the center axis of the top of the suspended panels and to the side edges of the hinged articulated panels. This makes it almost impossible to close the panel by pushing against the side edges of the panels because the pressure so exerted will not cause the wheels to turn since they are perpendicular to the pressure being exerted. Rather, the user must pull on the leading edge of the leading panel toward the closure point on the channel until the angle between a given pair of panels and the channel is sufficiently small to allow the pushing action on the side edges to be effective. As a consequence, conventional vertically supported panel arrays are either difficult and time consuming to operate, limited in the number of panels that can be joined in a panel assembly during use, or both.
Additionally, conventional carriage and wheel assemblies generally cooperatively engage by sliding the wheels into the channel from an open end or through cut out in one end of the channel. This makes maintenance a nuisance since changing a defective carriage requires its removal through an end point and insertion of a new one though the open end or gap at the end point.
As such, there is a continuing need for a rolling pivot for articulated panels in hinged engagement along their side edges which will allow for easy retraction and extension of a vertically suspended array of panels. Such a device should allow for the array of panels to be easily retracted to their stored or retracted position by minimal pressure on either the side edges of the hingedly engaged panels in the array or by pushing on the end panel. Further such a device should allow for the easy cooperative engagement of the carriage with the overhead channel from any point along the channels or through the openings at the end of the channel to facilitate maintenance of the array supports or changing of the panels so suspended by the channel.
The above problems, and others are overcome by the herein disclosed rolling pivot for articulated panels. As herein described the device alleviates the wheel angle to panel position problems inherent to conventional panels suspension components in retracted or extended panel arrays. The device provides this utility by setting the carriage wheels of the rolling pivot assembly engaged with the overhead channel, at an angle partway between the vertical and horizontal in relation to the vertical side edges of the hanging articulated panel. As a consequence, regardless of where force is applied to the suspended array of panels, whether it be on the side edges, the panel side surfaces, or by pulling on the side edge of the lead panel, the wheels will tend to move along in the desired direction until the panels reach their fully extended position substantially with their top edges substantially parallel to the center axis of the overhead channel.
This angled engagement of the carriage wheels in relation to the side edges and surface surfaces of the retracted panels in the array is provided in the construction of the rolling pivot assembly. Each pivot assembly is rotationally attached to an upper edge of a suspended panel adjacent to an upper corner of the suspended panel wherein each such suspended panel will be suspended by two such pivot assemblies. Each pivot assembly has a pivot bracket with a pair of wheel axles extending therefrom at angles to allow wheels engaged at the distal end of the axles to cooperatively engage in the channel in a tandem configuration at offsetting angles. The angle of the axles is generally between the being parallel the flat overhead surface mounting the channel being perpendicular to the side surfaces of the suspended panels of the array wherein force applied to the side surfaces, the side edges, or by pulling on the lead edge of the array will tend to move the panels along the channel in the desire direction.
The angled engagement of the axles with the pivot bracket and resulting offsetting angled engagement of the wheels with the channel provides an additional benefit. First, the width of the channel and the pivot assembly are greatly reduced from conventional arrangements thereby reducing the size for mounting and aesthetics and costs for manufacturing. Further, the wheels used have a determined diameter such that when mounted to the axles and turned sideways in the overhead channel, the pivot assemblies may be easily inserted into the channel through the gap at any point along the channels by simply rotating the pivot assembly until the wheels are out of engagement with the sides of the channels and pulling the pivot assembly out of the channel. This provides great utility for maintenance and replacement of the pivot assemblies as well as removal of panels and panel arrays without the need to disassemble them to slide them to an edge of the mounted channel. Still further, by overlapping the wheels in relation to the centerline of the carriage, the track width is minimized.
Accordingly, it is the object of this invention claimed herein to provide an improved rolling pivot for suspended articulated panel arrays which allows opening and closure of the array by applying force to any side or edge of the retracted array of panels.
It is another object of this invention to provide a rolling pivot which is insertable and retractable from its mounting channel at any point along the channel.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a rolling pivot for articulated panels which minimizes the width of the channel and pivot assemblies by providing angled engagement therebetween.
These and further objectives of this invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon.